“I’m beyond thrilled to be joining Barbara and the other amazing women at the table,” McCarthy said. “I’d like to thank ABC for this great opportunity. …I look forward to helping make hot topics a little bit hotter, and showing my mom that my interrupting skills have finally paid off.”

I wrote just last week that when “The View” began in 1997 it billed itself as a program that would showcase the perspectives of women from a variety of backgrounds. Yet during its 16 years on air, it has yet to feature a Latina co-host. Hopefully that will change when “The View” replaces Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who abruptly announced last week that she was jumping ship to Fox News. No replacement for Hasselbeck has been named and “The View” will reportedly take its time to fill her seat.

While it’s easy to dismiss “The View” as a catty gabfest, there’s no denying that the show routinely pulls in highly coveted guests. On Monday, for example, George Zimmerman’s defense team–Mark O’Mara and Don West–appeared on the program. In the past, President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama and a slew of other political figures have also been guests. Clearly, “The View” is a huge steppingstone for any woman who serves as co-host. Perhaps one day soon, a Latina will also have the career-changing opportunity to sit on the show’s panel.